E3: First Impressions of EA MMA

Since EA MMA doesn't have the license to the largest MMA company, they know they will have an uphill battle in the octagon video game cage. From what I saw today, though, their gameplay may have what it takes to take the fight three rounds, especially due to the "pick up and play" feel the game has/

The biggest gameplay feature, Total Striking, takes a page from Fight Night. It uses the R-Stick to map all punches. Add the Left Trigger/L2 modifier and you have an arsenal of kicks, as well. Blocking is mapped to the Right Trigger, which also allows "Parrying" if perfectly timed (also taken from Fight Night). A/X is your take down button, and B/O is your takedown block. Both buttons are also used as your transition/transition block when you are on the ground.

Now, the controls are fairly straightforward, but it is the way they are implemented that really pushes ease of use. When you push the Takedown button with no left control stick, it will try to use the best takedown move available at the time. But, if you manipulate the stick while pushing attempting the move, you can control exactly what you want to do. This seems to allow for new and casual gamers to not be overwhelmed with the game while allowing veteran MMA fans the opportunity to really pick an opponent apart.

Some things I am possibly worried about are the fighting styles looked very similar on different fighters with my limited time with the game. I hope to get more in depth with the game today and find out how much individualism each fighter has. I also would like to see more punch combinations to see if the "robotic" feel of striking is just not stringing together punches and kicks fluidly on the controller.

For more on EA MMA throughout E3, follow me on Twitter at @millenniumOS and @operationsports